Introduction

11.13. In Chapter 6 we considered the biological effects of radiation and exposure limits. However, the environmental impact of a nuclear power plant depends on how the sources of radiation exposure, i. e., the decaying isotopes, are transported to people. Similarly, in considering the long-term storage of radioactive wastes, we must evaluate the probability of some of the stored isotopes migrating from the storage site and leading to harmful exposure.

11.14. By radiation exposure pathways is meant the various ways in which sources of radiation are transported to cause exposure. As indicated in Fig. 11.1, the transport pathways from radioactive effluents can be fairly

complex when the food chain is considered. Should leaking waste con­tainers be the pathway source, the usual concern is transport through groundwater and then to sources of potable water or through the food chain to people. However, the pathway term is usually applied to radio­nuclides from reactor effluents rather than those from waste containers.